Thursday, October 22, 2015

A sunken yacht in Antarctica

From April 7th, 2012 and for about a year, the Brazilian research vessel Mar Sem Fim ("Endless Sea") could be seen under the freezing shallow waters of Maxwell Bay in Antarctica.

It all started when the 76-ft boat, owned by Brazilian journalist João Lara Mesquita, struck the ice while carrying a crew of four researchers filming a documentary. As the ship began to sink, the crew was rescued by Chilean Navy. For the next months, the ship could be seen from the surface, under 9 meters (30 feet) of water.

A year later, the owner João Lara Mesquita returned to the site to save the ship. The vessel was surfaced using inflated buoys and was then towed back to the shore. After a year covered in sea water, Mar Sem Fim was deemed beyond repair.